


Kanera: Skin of Evil

by lordhadrian



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: F/M, Fulcrum, Jedi, Jedi Training, Lothal, Mandalorian, Monsters, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 01:51:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13823952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordhadrian/pseuds/lordhadrian
Summary: A plot by Tarkin backfires and endangers the capital city.  The Ghost crew must fight and defeat a powerful parasite, virus monster or it could very well be the end of life on Lothal.





	Kanera: Skin of Evil

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to finish this before Valentine's day as a romantic adventure, but I just could not finish it in time. The romance is a bit on the corny side, but I wanted to try this story idea to see how I could shape it. Read, and enjoy.

Kanera: Skin of Evil

Tarkin strolled back and forth in his office as the sun set on Lothal. Patiently, he waited until the arrival of ISB Agent Kallus and Gall Trayvus. He had wanted to show them his latest scheme to defeat the rebels that plagued Lothal.

"Sir, you wanted to see us?" Agent Kallus marched in and stood at attention. Gall walked in a little more quietly.

"Gentlemen" Tarkin offered them seats "With our continued conflict involving the Rebel cell on Lothal, I have come to the conclusion that we have been too....conventional in our fight with these vagabonds. I felt it was time to take this conflict to a new level. One the Rebels will be utterly unprepared for!" A smile crept on Tarkin's face. He turned to them.

Kallus raised an eyebrow, confused but his interest was piqued. "What did you have in mind if you are not using our regular troops?"

"Yes, how will we stop the Rebels without using soldiers? We turn to an older method, one involving science!" He turned on a communicator "Dr Vindi, will you please join us?"

Nuvo Vindi, a biological terrorist from the Clone Wars, entered with a smile. He gave a small bow to the men. "Dr Nuvo Vindi is an expert in germ warfare, and we believe he has created a new kind of soldier for these Jedi that confound conventional soldiers such as yourselves. Doctor, is your new pet ready?"

"Yes, Commander" Dr Vindi was eager to showcase his experiment. They walked together down into the sewers of the capital. At the entrance of the massive sewer tunnel was a container with a bright flourescent white ooze.

"Perhaps you would care to explain your new creation, Dr Vindi" Tarkin gave him the floor.

"Of course!" Vindi gleefully stepped forward, activating a holographic projection of a cage, a glass terrarium with what appeared to be a massive white blob sloshing around. Kallus looked closely, seeing disturbing details. As Vindi did a close up of the moving creature, Kallus and Trayvus suddenly felt a bit of horror and revulsion. The large blob of milky white organism had a human like face. That of a newborn baby, and it seemed very jovial and happy as it sloshed around in its glass playpen.

"What manner of creature is this?" Kallus let loose a disgusted expression.

"It was born in a test tube. A living virus of protoplasm. It started small, almost microscopic..." Vindi explained "But by feeding, it has grown exponentially! The more it eats, the bigger it becomes, and more powerful....Come, let us watch it in action down in the sewers of the city..."

Tarkin walked calmly, leading the men to a balcony above one of the main sewers lines underneath the city. Vindi walked fast with enthusiasm, but Kallus and Trayvus had a little more trepidation.

"This sewer tunnel leads to every major location within the city, and to our multiple imperial stations outside the city. I anticipate that the rebels will try to sneak into the city to thwart us very soon" Tarkin had a glimmer in his eye of a dastardly plan.

"And why would they do that?" Kallus asked.

"Because I'm going to plant some bait to lure them here. They think they will send us scurrying in disaster and sabotage, but they will meet one last surprise when Vindi unleashes his new creature upon them"

Gall looked quizzically at the blobbish, almost childlike thing in its holding cell. "It hardly looks like a threat!" he remarked "Look at its face. Like a child! How will this thing destroy the rebels?"

"It is more than a creature" Vindi proudly announced "It is a new kind of virus that feeds on the cognitive structures of its victims, and hungers especially for those with a high midichlorian count in their blood."

"Midichlorian food?" Gall shook his head "There's hardly enough people with a midichlorian count to keep this thing alive in the whole Empire, let alone on just Lothal!"

Tarkin stood next to Gall Trayvus patiently accepting the criticism "You misunderstand, sir. This viral beast does not just feed on Midichlorians that give power to Jedi, but also the brain power of....well, any living being with a brain to feed upon. Allow me to demonstrate!"

Commander Tarkin gave a sudden shove to Gall Trayvus, knocking him off the lofty perch of the balcony overlooking the sewer pond below. Gall gave a startled shout and plummeted into the water. Kallus watched in horror at Tarkin's unpredictable nature, and watched with further horror as the Commander signaled Dr. Vindi to unleash the large, oozing virus monster from its cell. the pudding beast blooped out into the water to surround the dazed Gall.

"The creature, or virus, depending on your point of view, is still in a young, larval stage in development, and will not be too much of a threat to you, Gall Trayvus. But you will have quite a headache for many days after we fish you out of the mire."

Gall saw that the creature oozed around him in the sewage. Its cute baby face was more horrifying for its childlike features as it reached out with white transluscent tendrils towards his face. He began to scream.

"Gall Trayvus..." Tarkin shook his head "GALL!"

Gall Trayvus shut up as Tarkin yelled, and looked up at him as the creature swarmed his body to feed on his mind.

"Dignity, Gall. You will not die. But you will be reminded that there are worse fates for those who fail the Empire!" Tarkin watched coolly, Kallus was silent with dread as Gall succumbed to the feeding, his brain felt dizzy from the viral hunger of the thin skinned thing that cried and giggled like a new born baby. Gall learned a valuable lesson, and would be bedridden for the rest of the week.....

 

Hera and Kanan sat at their table, discussing the recent events in the Capital, and an opportunity that has arisen. "Empire Day is coming, and our spy, Fulcrum, has caught communication that there will be more than just a parade." Hera talked unusually quiet. "The parade is a distraction. They want us to think they are going to just showcase the new Tie Defender, but they are trying to smuggle a huge Kyber Crystal out of the city."

Kanan expressed skepticism "Why cover the crystal? No one in the city knows it's value."

"But we do" Hera answered "Something is going on in the Empire, and this crystal seems to be a vital component."

"Either way, it's a trap. Using the tie defender as a prop to bait us. Whether we fall for the decoy or go after the crystal....they're waiting for us."

Ezra rushed into the room, looking urgent "Guys! Fulcrum is sending a message, and it isn't a good one! The City is in peril!" Everyone gathered near the com link, and sure enough, things had taken a turn for the worse. Fulcrum's altered voice masked his identity, but not his urgent panic. There was video footage of the cityy, and it was eerily quiet. No crowds, no activity on the streets.

"The Capital is in a state of emergency. The people are held hostage by a new life form, and even the Imperial Forces have retreated to orbit. Several days ago, a rogue scientist, Dr. Vindi, created a new, living virus in an attempt to destroy rebels infiltrating the city. That organism has grown beyond Imperial control and now dominates the city."

Kanan and Hera looked at each other with chills down their spine, as even the patrols and command have abandoned the city. No Storm troopers in sight.

Fulcrum continued "Tarkin and his retinue have abandoned the city, and are planning an orbital bombardment in 24 hours if the viral beast is not contained or exterminated."

"WHAT!?? NO!" Ezra's face dropped into a state of shock and horror.

"I have chosen to stay in the city" Fulcrum sighed "Some of us continue to attempt to destroy the beast, but it was a creature designed to disable living beings by affecting their mind. No one can get close to it without being paralyzed and even lobotomized. The people are in a trance in their homes, a constant source of brain food and energy for the creature, a slimy life form that hides in the sewers. If I cannot stop the virus, it will eventually destroy all life in the city. At least, until Tarkin vaporizes it in 24 hours. Stay away from the city. No one can help us.....Fulcrum out."

"What the blazes!?" Zeb sat in shock. The room was quiet for a moment.

"Kanan...." Hera gasped.

"We have to do something!" Ezra shook his head in disbelief.

"Well, one thing is for sure" Zeb scratched his chin "The Empire isn't setting a trap for us if they're in the same pickle!"

Kanan looked up at everyone as the transmission ended "24 hours.....not a lot of time to solve this."

"You have a plan, I hope" Hera cautiously observed his thinking expression.

"Not sure what we're up against, but there are many lives at stake, and it sounds like the Empire overstepped their boundaries of good taste and decency. Again...." Kanan sighed as he packed up and prepared to enter the city. The rest of the Ghost crew, naturally, gathered their equipment and followed. They reached a hatch outside the city.

Chopper warbled a bad feeling about the mission, but Kanan shushed him up "Let's not jinx the mission with opinions. We go in, we stop this creature, what ever it is, and we get away before the Imperials return."

Everyone gripped their weapons as the sewer hatch opened to them. Kanan and Ezra began to feel light headed, distracted and dizzy. "I sense it!" Ezra warned

"A creature immense connection to midichlorians!" kanan gasped "And it grows as it feeds!"

They moved slowly through the sewers, cautiously going down several long tunnel routes. but soon Hera had to help Kanan along. As they moved deep into the tunnels, each of them soon began to feel dizzy, numb, and weary. "It seems this creature is taking our strength..." Sabine wiped her forehead "I hope we can confront it soon!"

There came a squealing as the entity washed up towards them with a smiling, baby face amidst its pudding shaped body. It smiled joyously at them, which was both unnerving and a bit terrifying to some of them.

"Careful what you wish for!" Zeb gritted his teeth as he started to tingle with fear. The thing started to giggle as it made his brain feel soggy and dizzy. Chopper whirred and beeped with a grumpy opinion of the thing. The droid tested the combat waters by zapping at the thin skinned being with a hint of electricity, but seemed to not have an effect. Likewise, the creature fed on organic matter, and its psychic feeding had no effect on Chopper.

"Kanan!" Hera gasped as the slimy creature oozed through the sewers towards them "Everyone look out!"

"It's horrible!" Sabine tried shooting it "A pudding with a face!"

The creature seemed to smile at them, like it discovered new playthings....Sabine's pistol shots scorched its slimy surface of evil skin, but it slowly absorbed the scorch marks. Kanan and the others began to realize how viscous and large the viral amoeba was. It glooped around much of the sewers as it pursued them.

"We need to get to higher ground..." Zeb started kicking away the slimy white skin as it burbled around him "...Like the surface!"

The thing, its baby face plump and happy, swirled around Sabine and looked her in the eyes "I find the brains to be quite tasty!" it suddenly spoke! The skin of evil formed up around Sabine like a fluffy marshmellow, squeezing her in a tight grip of slime as its face hovered over her head. It squeezed her and attempted to pry at her helmet to pull it off! The thing had evolved to such an advanced state that it not only fed on the mental energies of its victims, but developed a physical mouth that desired to taste them as well!

Sabine began to scream in agony from its mental drain. Ezra whipped up his saber and jumped at the skin, burning into it "Let her go!" he swung with rage, burning at it. The creature looked at him, annoyed. Everyone was struggling with the Skin of Evil, but Ezra saw the pain it gave Sabine, and his adrenaline shot up. Perhaps the creature wore him down mentally, for Ezra no longer cared to fight with and Jedi finesse. Not with Sabine in danger. He impaled the creature's blobby body and tore at it to free her.

"Sabine! Hold on!!" he grabbed her to pull her from the monster amoeba's grip.

Then, something happened. The skin bubbled with a burning, and the monster hissed in pain, releasing her. The cute, baby face of the monster curled with raged as it retreated from the fiery sensations around Sabine and Ezra. She fell into his arms, and only when the skin floated away did Ezra suddenly calm down. She looked up at him weakly and sighed, falling into his arms.

Everyone slumped to regain their energy. Chopper warbled as they recovered.

"Good work, Kid" Zeb patted Ezra on the shoulder "I don't know how you beat it back, but that was a mighty thing you did"

Sabine smiled "You must be quite a powerful Jedi to stop it" she commented "I could barely think or move when it touched me"

"How DID I defeat it?" Ezra looked at them.

Kanan gathered everyone, and silently signaled for them to advance after the thing "I wouldn't say your Jedi powers beat it back. You were not focused. In fact, you lost control because of your emotions....and your anger"

The thing screamed in the depths of the sewers, its shriek echoing throughout the tunnels. Hera almost took a step back, and everyone was frozen for a second of terror.

"I don't know what it's waiting for" Zeb growled "But if it wants a piece of us....well...." he hesitated "We'll be over here. Far away."

"Time's running out" Kanan cautiously led them forward. "We face it together, and we end the menace now. Maybe Fulcrum can call off the Imperial bombardment!" They moved deeper into the city. Ezra winced at every shadow, and Sabine held her breath as the creature continued to stalk them with angry noises. Chopper twitched nervously as it scanned for the skin constantly. It burbled a nervous bleeping as the creature moved towards them.

"Here it comes!" Hera braced herself. The creature grabbed Chopper and flung the droid into a wall, then went after Ezra and Sabine, squeezing its soft, gel-like form around them to keep them separate. Everyone began to feel the creature draining them, as if drinking their brains away with its psychic attacks.

Kanan tried to attack it with his saber, but started to feel very weak. Hera kicked at the thing's head, and gave it a good punch!

The virus beast scrunched its face with anger and shrieked at her. Its gelatinous body started to ooze all around her. "KANAN!!!" Hera called out as it bubbled up and nearly over her face.

"HERA!" Kanan used every last ounce of his strength to lunge to her and stick his hands through the gooey skin to pull her free. The Evil skin tried to cover her up, and screeched again as he fought to hold her close. "I've got you! I won't let go!" they held each other as the thing tried to absorb them both. It screeched again in pain as it felt the burning.

It pulled away from Kanan and Hera. They embraced with relief. But then Kanan looked at the skin "It could not hold you, Hera! You chased it away!" he smiled and looked into her eyes "You did it!"

"No!" Hera smiled and looked at the milky oozing monster "It's us! It could not control us!" She held his hand, and they walked towards the creature. The connection they shared. It created a power, a positive energy in their minds and hearts. It was a power the creature could not control, nor comprehend. It burned the Skin because it was a parasite that could not counter the energy of Love Kanan and Hera held.

"Kanan, it's us! Our emotions are repelling it. Ezra had the right idea, he found the creature's weakness by accident." She firmly held his hand and felt her heart beat fast as she thought of the entirety of their time together, their friendship. And the first kiss they had in secret that would forever keep them together.

The Skin cringed, and the crew felt a little more invigorated as it backed away from them. "Wait a minute!" Zeb suddenly scratched his chin and looked at the creature "You mean to tell me all you had to do was show a little love and it was burned??"

"All you need is love!" Hera winked at him.

"Between me and Ezra" Kanan commented more soberly "Our midichlorians also magnify the emotional energy to repel the creature. That's where it really felt the burn."

"Well, in THAT case!" Zeb grabbed everyone in a group hug "I LOVE YOU ALL!!" he started giving everyone sloppy kisses. Everyone winced at his aggressive love for them, and chuckled a little, but it worked. His emotional energy burned at the monster parasite, and it made horrible noises as they chased it back to its container.

Ezra grabbed Sabine's hand "For the people of Lothal!" He kissed her before she could react. Everyone blushed, and for a moment, Sabine enjoyed it. But she pulled away and pushed him into the water "After we save the city, I'm kicking your butt!"

"Totally worth it!" Ezra grinned.

Everyone watched as Kanan and Hera also kissed "Who knew we could win with just a little bit of magic and midichlorians could save the whole city!?" Hera smiled "If only we could defeat the entire Empire with this kind of love!"

"Well, TECHNICALLY it's a chemical rea-"

"Kanan, shut up!" Hera kissed him before he could finish his explanation. The creature, diminished completely, dissipated into a harmless goo that no longer lived to feed. It was reduced to useless protoplasm.

Kanan pulled back from Hera after enjoying a good long kiss "Okay, let's contact Fulcrum. By now, the whole city should be slowly recovering from this bad ooze! It should be enough to cancel the bombardment, and the Empire doesn't have to know we were here"

The Ghost crew exited back to their base swiftly as the Imperials withdrew their fleet. Fulcrum contacted them to learn the city, though still under Imperial control, was safe now that the monster was no more. Agent Kallus restored order and made sure the populace recovered from the mind bending ordeal.

Kanan and Hera walked in the fields near the base. "That was.....very weird. I never thought.....I guess love DOES conquer all." Kanan looked off into the sunset. He stopped talking, and just held Hera close. Hera smiled as she held his hand. The others went about their business, but they all had a smile as they watched the two walk away for time alone.


End file.
